Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Broadway Books
Length: 560 pages
Original Publishing Date: January 1st, 2012
Series: Standalone
Where I got it: Bought it from Costco
Links: Goodreads Amazon Author's Website
Synopsis from Goodreads:
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
Blogger's Note: I am nervous to review this novel because a) spoilers and b) everyone seems to already have read it. Therefore, I'll be altering the review structure again.
I think the biggest reason why it took me this long to finish this book is because of the hype. And because I am really bad at reading popular novels when everyone else does. When Gone Girl started getting big, I said that I would read it. So I told everyone not to tell me a thing. But I still heard a bit. Like that there were some huge twists. That you would never know what to think. That it would blow your mind. That you would devour it in a day. I don't really feel like any of those apply to my reading experience.
So, I had some high expectations, but barely any idea of what the novel was about. Maybe I was expecting an action-mystery novel. That's obviously not what this is.
It was really hard for me to get into this book. I tried reading it about 3-4 times before I actually sat down to just knock it out. Even then, as I was cloistered at Starbucks, I kept getting distracted and jolted out of the story. Flynn's writing is complex and psychological, but it also doesn't keep my interest very well. It was like wading through utterly boring mud.
The twist: not surprised. Slightly exciting, definitely added some interest to the story and made me keep reading, but not surprising. I was surprised that there were more twists, if that counts as being truly surprised by the book. The thing that frustrated me most is that there weren't any clues really about the twist. It just dropped in out of nowhere. I don't know how to explain why I don't like that. It's not that I want to solve the mystery before Flynn tells me what the twist is, but I just want the tracks to be there so that when it happens, I can say: oh my God, yes I saw that.
Nick and Amy. The biggest thing I can say is that I liked the way that Flynn constructed them, piece by piece. The reader begins by learning about their lives, liking them, relating to them, and then slowly but surely, that leaves. They are intriguing as main characters simply because they are so seriously screwed up in ways that you can't even begin to explain.
Finally, the ending. It fit. That's all I'm going to say on that, to avoid spoilers.
Overall, I was disappointed by Gone Girl, but I'll admit that I ruminating on it after I stopped reading.
Rating: 3 stars
Your Thoughts: Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven't, will you be adding it to your TBR list? Let me know!
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